True Friends
by pinkpen23
Summary: Harry and Hermione share a sweet moment together in sixth year when Ron is off being a prat together with Lavender.  Strictly friendship b/c I'm a hardcore R/Hr shipper.  Implied R/Hr and H/G.  Please review :


#?

"Harry?" Parvati Patil said to the bespectacled Harry Potter who was reading his tattered Potions book.

Harry, who was sitting on one of the squashy red couches, glanced up at the dark pretty girl in front of him.

"Yeah?"

"Hermione's crying. She's in our room, and she's been crying all day. I tried to comfort her, but it's no use. I don't know what to do…"

Harry closed his Potions book and sighed. He suspected that Hermione's crying had to do with the fact that Ron and Lavender Brown were in Hogsmeade right now, probably cuddling up close and enjoying butterbeers.

"I can't go up there though," Harry said. "Your dormitory is charmed so that boys can't go in."

"Well, what if I bring her up to your dormitory? Would that be okay?"

"Sure," Harry responded. "I'll be up in a minute."

"Okay," Parvati said, "Thanks."

Harry looked around the common room as Parvati left. Deana and Seamus were in Hogsmeade, but Neville was sitting at a table, playing with one of his plants. Harry, who reckoned that cheering up Hermione would take awhile, decided he needed to warn Neville not to go up to his dormitory.

"Neville?" Harry said, approaching Neville who was intently studying the leaves of his plant.

"Yeah Harry?" Neville said, looking up.

"Could you—err—stay down here for a little while?"

"Sure, why?"

"Err, let's just say it's complicated."

"Okay Harry, no problem," Neville replied.

"Alright, thanks Neville."

Harry took one last look around the Gryffindor common room and headed up the stairs to his dormitory. Before Harry had opened his bedroom door, he heard sobs. He listened from the other side of the door as Parvati attempted to soothe Hermione, but Harry knew she wouldn't be able to.

Harry turned the doorknob slowly and entered the room. Parvati gave Harry an awkward smile as if to _good luck_. Hermione didn't even acknowledge Harry's presence. When Parvati had left the room, Harry walked to his bed where Hermione was crying into her hands. He sat on the edge of his bed and put an awkward hand on her back.

"Nothing you say is going to make me feel better," Hermione said, her body shaking with sobs.

"Hermione _please_. Don't be dramatic. It's not like he's going to marry her or anything."

This was apparently the wrong thing to say, however, because it only caused Hermione to cry harder.

"Okay, okay, that was the wrong thing to say. I'm sorry. Hermione, c'mon. Cheer up."

"It's just so _stupid_," Hermione spat so fiercely that Harry was taken aback.

"Yeah," he answered after a moment, "It sort of is, isn't it?"

"I mean, he never once expressed any interest in her until she _threw_ herself at him! I actually thought he was starting to become interested in me. I was trying to throw subtle hints that _I_ was interested, and I sort of thought he was picking up on them. I guess not though. Is he so thick that he didn't catch on to that?"

"No, I think he caught on," Harry replied.

"Did he say something?" Hermione asked quickly, looking at Harry intently through her red-rimmed eyes.

Harry looked back at Hermione, staring into her tear-stained face. He pitied his dear friend and was now finally beginning to realize just how much Ron's relationship with Lavender was taking a toll on her. Hermione wasn't usually like this. Hermione was strong. She was tough. This must have been her weakness though.

"No, he didn't," Harry told her, much to Hermione's disappointment, "But he's not my best mate for nothing. I could tell that he was catching on."

"Oh…" Hermione said, clearly at a loss of how to feel at this point.

"Hermione look, Ron's being a prat right now. We both know that. But that's how he is. He's not going to be with Lavender forever. We just have to wait for this thing to run its course. And then maybe you two can give it another try."

Hermione wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. "You know one of the worst parts about this whole thing?"

"What?" Harry asked.

"The fact that I have to _listen_ to Lavender gush about Ron to Parvati _all night_ in our room. I swear, sometimes I have to cast charms around my bed, so that I don't hear what they're saying."

"Yeah, sometimes Dea-. Never mind," Harry said quickly.

"What?" Hermione asked, her attitude changing from sadness to curiosity.

"Nothing," Harry said, turning red.

Hermione gave him a knowing smirk which made Harry very nervous. What did she know?

"Sometimes you have to listen to Dean talk about Ginny, right? Was that what you were going to say?"

"No—I—err—"

Hermione smiled a little wider. "I thought so."

Harry broke eye-contact with Hermione and looked down at the comforter on his bed. "Sometimes when Ron isn't in the room—you know, when he's still in the common room with Lavender—Dean will talk about Ginny to Seamus, Neville, and me."

"It's horrible, isn't it? Sometimes it's completely intolerable, right?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Harry muttered, "But how did you know? I never told you I liked Ginny."

Hermione shook her head knowingly. "Harry, you're my best friend. I catch on to these types of things quite fast. I am, after all, a girl."

Harry chuckled a little, realizing as he did so, that he had managed to get Hermione to stop crying. He felt a great satisfaction in this.

"Harry, I'm so glad I have you," Hermione told him.

"I'm glad I have you too," Harry responded, feeling awkward.

"I promise, Harry, that I'll always be there for you, okay? I know you have this whole thing about doing everything on your own, but you don't have to. You're my best friend. I'll always be there to help you through whatever. Don't forget that."

Harry turned red again and forced himself to look at Hermione. He hated discussing deep things like this, but after what Hermione had said, he owed it to her to acknowledge just how much what she said had meant to him.

"Thanks Hermione. I promise I won't forget that."

Hermione leaned in across the bed and hugged her best friend. She squeezed him tightly as if to say 'thank you' and 'I love you.' Harry hugged her back, though not quite as tight, and was able to receive everything Hermione was conveying in her hug.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered in her ear as they hugged. "They'll break up soon, and then everything will be back to normal."

Just as Harry had whispered those last words, the door to his dormitory opened.

"Oi!" Ron exclaimed.

Harry and Hermione broke away from their hug at once. Harry stared at Ron, shocked to see him back so early. Hermione, on the other hand, refused to look at Ron.

"I'll see you later, Harry. Thanks for everything," Hermione said, getting up from Harry's bed but keeping her eyes down.

"You're welcome," Harry replied, somewhat quietly.

The two boys watched silently as Hermione got up and exited the room. Hermione walked towards the door, and Ron nervously moved out of her way, scared that she'd send birds on him again. As soon as Hermione was out of sight, Harry spoke.

"Back a bit early, aren't you?"

"Yeah, Lavender was starting to complain, and so I suggested we come back. She can be really annoying at times," Ron said.

Harry smirked to himself, making a mental note to tell Hermione what Ron said.

"So what was that about?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," Harry answered. "We were just talking."

"In our dormitory?" Ron questions suspiciously.

"It was nothing," Harry said, shaking his head. He refused to divulge that Hermione was crying over Ron. He knew Hermione would not want to be portrayed as weak—especially to Ron.

"Alright," Ron said, somewhat annoyed at Harry's less-than-satisfactory response.

"Well, I'm going down to the common room," Harry said, anxious to get away from Ron's inquiries.

"Okay," Ron replied, still with a tone of irritation.

"See you at dinner," Harry said, exiting the room.

_**A/N: Read and Review please! I may add on more chapters because I kind of feel like it ends abruptly. Thoughts on that?**_


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